


Unforgettable Forgotten Kiss

by Ellomi



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akira/Ren the RyuAnn shipper, Angst, Apologies, Awkward Kissing, Awkwardness, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Childhood Sweethearts, Comfort/Angst, Cute, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, I’ll update tags in chapter 2, Kissing, Making Out, Middle School, Playgrounds, Rough Kissing, Teasing, Teen Romance, Teenagers, hes Akira kurusu in this, shiho the RyuAnn shipper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-07 14:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14672691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellomi/pseuds/Ellomi
Summary: Looking at how Ann and Ryuji act, you’d never guess they were once in love. And that’s probably because they still are.





	1. Middle School Crush

Middle school, where people were kinder and things were less complicated.

Middle school, where drama was petty and never lasted long.

Middle school, where Ryuji and Ann actually talked to each other. Not because they had to, because they wanted to. 

The two were hanging around a playground not too far from their middle school. Shiho was there, too. Full of hope and happiness... A smile that would soon disappear thanks to one rotten adult.

Shiho hopped down from the monkey bars in a hurry “Ah! My dad said I had to be home for dinner.” She was out of breath but apologetic nonetheless. “Anyway, have fun without me~” Teasing Ann whenever around Ryuji wasn’t unfamiliar to Shiho. 

“Oh, well that sucks.. Seeya Shiho!” Ann waved her off from the swing set where she was sitting, trying to ignore the teasing.

Ryuji gave her a salute “Later!” He yelled before continuing to push Ann on the swings ,slower than before. Their actions making up for the silence that followed after the laughter died out.

“So... We’ll be in high school soon.” Ann sighed and began fidgeting. She didn’t mean to dampen the mood but without Shiho there to save her from embarrassing herself she turned into a utter mess.

“Yeah... Though it still ain’t hittin’ just yet.” One of the rare moments he was actually thoughtful. “Why’d you bring it up? We still have a year.” He asked her, tilting his head.

“Hey! I was being vulnerable there!” She began blushing furiously. “I want us to stay the same is all...” Now looking at the floor trying to hide her embarrassment, from herself.

“The same huh..? Well I’m sure we will.. be the same” His tone was bitter, but why..?

Ann broke into a nervous laugh, “Why do you sound so down? Ohh, did you want to be more than this?” She teased, leaning back into him.

But he just held onto one of the swing sets chains, and faced her. “What if I do?” He questioned her, maintaining eye contact. But his tone was so... casual... He had to be just messing around. He had to be.

But even though she assumed he wasn’t serious, she couldn’t help but be nervous. She couldn’t stop those thoughts from crossing her mind. “O-oh well if you’re up for it.” Ann’s acting wasn’t the best and this is no different. Her words were genuine but she hoped he’d think they were fake and go along with the joke.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Oh god when does the joke end?! “Ann you’re pretty-No you’re stunning... And you’re kind and funny and smart and all of that shit!! Why the hell wouldn’t I want to be more than friends with you?” Even though he was struggling to keep his breathing in check his words were genuine. And that’s exactly what made Ann panic. It’s what she wanted but she still wished it never happened. But she had nothing to lose if he liked her too...

“Well I... I like you too.” Her words were soft as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Does that mean we’re.... dating?” Ryuji was failing at hiding his childlike excitement. 

“Guess so.” Ann couldn’t help but giggle. The situation was so silly, she was nervous that Ryuji of all people wouldn’t accept her.

“Then should we...y’know...” Ryuji’s time to be nervous had just arrived, seeing him flustered gave Ann some confidence. 

“You can kiss me.” She smirked, lifting her chin up so he can do so.

“Y-yeah” he shuffled around, trying to figure out how to kiss her until he got into a workable spot.

They gave each other a look of ‘holy shit, we’re going to do this’ and then they simultaneously started to kiss. It wasn’t anything special, after all it was their first and they were still in middle school. However, what mattered was that they were kissing each other. They were the first to kiss and get kissed by each other.

Something you simply could not forget easily. 

And yet they did.


	2. Like we once were

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Ryuji’s first kiss was unforgettable, their friendship was unforgettable. They tried to forget, but what happens when they’re put in the situation as bitter 16 year olds?

You Have One New Message!  
Akira Kurusu:Sorry, Boss held me back to clean some dishes. I can’t make it. Is tomorrow fine? |22:51

“For real...? What a pain in the ass...” Ryuji rubbed his forehead as he read the text from his friend. Then looking over to Ann about to read the text.

She read the text, and reacted in a similar fashion. “Damn it... we waited like, forever and he’s gonna bail on us?” She shot up, picking up her bag and getting ready to jet off home.

Ryuji dragged his feet while following her lead, “He made us come to this dumb park and for what?! What a waste of time”. He huffed while banging his fist on the Bars of the swing set.

Ann didn’t quite understand why Ryuji was so pissed off about Akira bailing, I mean sure it was weird how he told them to meet at the park instead of the rooftop.... But he couldn’t know Boss was going to hold him back. But then again, this is Ryuji Sakamoto...

...Ex track star  
Former best friend  
High school delinquent  
Middle school crush  
First person to hit Kamoshida  
First person to kiss Ann  
First person to kiss Ann...

‘We were just on good terms’  
‘It was silly, hardly a crush even.’  
‘Did that even happen...?’

All thoughts that attacked Ann’s mind when she looked at Ryuji and remembered– no, ‘thought of a dumb totally hypothetical scenario where she might of been in love with Ryuji Sakamoto’. She tried to push them back, she tried to erase those memories and think of Ryuji as nothing more than her team mate. But that was impossible. It would invade all her thoughts. Studying? 1+1=You kissed Ryuji. Sleeping? Let’s count Ryuji’s. Eating? Eating Ryuji’s d...elicous food that he would bring to school, both he and his mom were great cooks. 

It wasn’t just Ann who felt this way, Ryuji couldn’t stop thinking about her. He tried to tell himself ‘Every guy in this school had or has a crush on Ann... She’s hot, yeah you like her ‘cause she’s hot. That’s all.’ Whenever he saw her and caught himself looking for just a bit too long, that’s the lie he’d tell himself. And he told himself that a lot. But it’s not just an ordinary ‘everyone likes the hot girl’ crush. You don’t just pathetically gaze at someone who you’ve known since the age you could get a boner, and mark that as a crush like that. And if it was just a stupid, worthless, temporary crush it wouldn’t be stressing him out this much.

It’s not the Ryuji way to be cool about it though, hence why he had clenched fists that he shoved into his pockets, paired with his trademark scowl. 

He was infuriated that asshole Akira made him look back on the place where he kissed Ann that one night. The playground equipment was once shiny and new compared to now, they were covered in scratch marks and graffiti’d to hell. The swing sat as the seats swayed in time with the cool spring breeze and the blooming trees joining in. The chain link fences were now frayed with gaps, like some one tried to make an escape. The park had a new type of charm... But that’s objective.

It was surely just a coincidence that Akira asked to meet up at THIS park...but that didn’t change the fact that he was here. He was here, in the park where they once were. They were here once again on a warm night, their mutual friend had ditched them and they were all alone.

But this time, they had experienced shit they didn’t deserve. The girl who lent them a pencil in 7th grade now viewed them as empty husks that exist purely for people’s shit-talking needs ‘Takamaki’s a slut,’ ‘Sakamoto is a danger.’. They had both experienced helplessness... it seemed as if the world had turned against them. But they were hardly allies.

Ann was about to leave, until Ryuji found the courage to stop her. He didn’t know why he did, he just didn’t want to waste a good opportunity to perhaps just talk to her. Talk to her like he doesn’t already know that her favourite breakfast food is Blueberry waffles but only with cream, that she cries watching any movie with dogs in it, that she feels bad getting rid of her old dolls, that she once had a mutual crush on...Ryuji.

He reached out like he was trying to grab her, “T-Takamaki!” He gulped trying to hide his reluctance with a huge grin. “How about I...push you on the swing? I’m great at pushing people... O-on the swings I mean.” He relaxed his stance, or at least tried, and gestured to the swing-set.

“Okaaay...” Ann slowly sat on the swingset, confused but quick to notice her feelings of Deja Vu. “So... are metaverse outfits are super weird huh?” It was so obvious she was trying to break the ice, but she must have ice powers because it became even more awkward...

Ryuji began pushing her, not going particularly slow or fast or high. Just focusing on the conversation. The dreaded conversation. “Ya think so? I think they look pretty cool.” Honesty. Honesty is the best policy. You just can’t go wrong, right?

An awkward, cold silence lingered in the air for a few moments until... “I’m sick of this.” Ryuji sighed and stopped pushing Ann so he could face her, no hiding, just looking each other in the eyes. His sudden change in tone prompted an agitated Ann.

“Wh-what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong? Is everything alright?” She tried adjusting her clothing to look neater, but stopped when he waved his hands to signal her to stop and calm down. 

“No no, you haven’t done anything wrong... well recently.” His tone and overall demeanour softened, making Ann feel relieved but still anxious. All she could do was listen.

He took a deep breath. “Ann... I know you didn’t forget about what happened, and I didn’t either...so why did you–No, why did WE just...act like we never knew each other. That night you caught the flu and didn’t feel better until graduation, and even then...why didn’t we just talk to each other dammit?” He took time to cringe over how pathetic he sounded. “Granted all the bullshit with Kamoshida just made us grow apart... And I know I had made a reputation as being the guy who hit that ‘damsel in distress’... but why could you just...why couldn’t we just... be together?again? As friends or whatever the hell...Just...” He looked as if he just ran a marathon, he was gripping his knees and panting. He managed to work up a sweat from simply being too passionate about... His relationship with Ann. About Ann.

She slowly stood up and put her right hand on his face, and gripped wrist in an effort to calm him. It was effective for sure, but she had made him sit through enough cheesy rom-coms to know that this position doesn’t lead to a friendly pat on the back.

“All I can do is apologise... I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft and full of guilt, but she didn’t let go of him. “It didn’t even feel real to me... I didn’t know what to do and before long we weren’t like what we once were. Like you said, the Kamoshida bullshit made it worse... I wanted to talk to you, but Kamoshida wouldn’t let me...But that’s changed, right? No Kamoshida to screw us over... We can be friends again!” Her positive tone wasn’t enough to cover her tears. Her happy-sad tears. Her nervous-determined tears. But she kept gripping onto Ryuji’s wrist, but now she had began gripping his hand.

Ryuji wiped away her tears while his own dried up. “So we can do this again?” Before she had a chance to respond, he had locked his lips onto hers. At first she was taken aback, as anyone would be. But it didn’t take long for them to start smiling and laughing whenever their lips weren’t touching. It wasn’t half as awkward as their first, it was much more passionate this time. Their arms started tangling together, they were so focused on the kiss for their bodies to sync up. He could taste her cherry chapstick, as it started to transfer onto his own mouth she began to taste it too. Their hands were all over each other, face, hair, waist, they stumbled back into the swing seat and tripping back over it until they were on the ground, laying together in fits of laughter.

“How’d you learn to kiss like that?? Or is it semi-beginners luck?” Ann joked but she secretly was curious.

Ryuji shuffled closer to her and began using his hand to brush her silky blonde hair that was no longer tied up in perfect pigtails and generally disheveled. “Online I guess.” He gave her a smirk with his simple answer.

“Huh? You’ve been looking at kissing tutorials?” She questioned him while still trying to catch her breath.

“Y-yeah lets go with that.”

You Have One New Message!  
Akira Kurusu: I haven’t gotten a text back yet I hope it worked |00:04  
Akira Kurusu: Shit |00:04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is much later than I intended it to be, but I hope you enjoyed it still!
> 
> Persona writers Discord: https://discord.gg/v3rXEe
> 
> My tumblr: ellomicake.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> I had this in my drafts forever! I hope you’re looking forward to chapter 2~
> 
> BONUS: Do you write fanfiction for Persona? Well I’ve made a Discord for writers to interact! https://discord.gg/Epdz6u


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